


merry kiss-mas Mr. Hale

by haleofStilesheart



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Kiss, First Meetings, Getting Together, Holidays, Jewish Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Mistletoe, Sheriff Stilinski Ships It, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski, Teacher Derek, recitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 11:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haleofStilesheart/pseuds/haleofStilesheart
Summary: Stiles' daughter has been having some issues in school yet despite everything, she is extremely excited for her school's holiday recital. So is Stiles when he meets a certain handsome teacher that he just so happens to wind up under the mistletoe with.





	merry kiss-mas Mr. Hale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kevaaronday](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=kevaaronday).



> I was only a few paragraphs in when I realized that I have never actually written child characters before! Hopefully, my inexperience isn't too obvious! Happy holidays from your no longer secret Santa!

It wasn't often that Stiles' daughter was so excited to go to school. Yet there she was, tugging on his sleeve and bouncing impatiently on the balls of her feet.

Her brown hair, carefully and painstakingly curled and adorned with a pristine white hair ribbon, swayed as she urged Stiles to get ready quicker. With a punched out laugh, Stiles raised his arms, conceding, "Alright, alright. No hair gel tonight, Claudia, I get it."

"Makes you look funny," she solemnly declared, nodding gravely as she ceased her bouncing. Maintaining her surprisingly tight grip on the sleeve of Stiles' dress shirt, she tacked on, "Like a porkie-pine."

Stiles let out an indignant huff, raising his brows at his daughter. Setting his hands on his hips, he challenged, "A porcupine? Really? Sure, maybe a hedgehog. But a porcupine?"

Claudia gave another serious nod. "Yup. A porkie-pine, daddy."

"A handsome porcupine, though, right?" Stiles teased, turning back to the mirror to keep fiddling with his necktie. Jeez, he was twenty seven years old and he still couldn't tie a Windsor knot.

Even as he focused on the length of silken fabric wrapped around his neck, he noticed Claudia's wrinkled nose out of the corner of his eye. Shaking his head with a fond smile, he called up the stairs, "Hey, dad! You ready to go?"

_ Twenty seven, can't tie a Windsor, and I still live with my dad. Father of year, right here, _ Stiles groused as he continued struggling with his tie. He supposed that was what happened when you had a child at nineteen years old.

Not that he would ever regret having Claudia. No. Not in a million years.

The only thing he regretted was how unprepared he had been for fatherhood. He hadn't planned on having kids until he was much older, until he was established in his career with a place of his own and a loving, committed partner.

But, of course, with his luck, his first hookup, his first one night stand, his first sexual experience whatsoever had resulted in a beautiful baby girl and a deferred life plan.

Eight years ago, Stiles had gone to a belated New Year's party at his friend Heather's house to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. It had been a lovely party, full of music and dancing and champagne.

Then, one thing had led to another and Stiles had lost his virginity in Heather's parents' wine cellar, exchanging uncoordinated champagne flavored kisses. It had been rushed and woefully unromantic, both of their inexperience resulting in more than a few embarrassing moments.

Afterwards, he and Heather had gone back to being just friends, putting their drunken hookup behind them. But nine months and a broken condom later, Stiles was being called down to the hospital for the birth of his daughter.

What had happened next was a mix of selfishness and fatherly obligation.

In the delivery room, as Stiles cradled his new baby girl and fought to hold back tears as he called his dad, Heather announced that she wanted to put the baby up for adoption. It was an understandable choice, they were both young and had their whole lives ahead of them and a baby was just too much.

But looking down into those big, trusting brown eyes as his daughter gazed up at him with all the innocence and wonder of a newborn, Stiles had immediately known that he would never be able to give her up.

After filling out the birth certificate, naming his daughter Claudia Heather Stilinski after his mother and her own, Stiles took his daughter home. Heather signed the papers to terminate her parental rights a few days later after she decided that it was best not to be involved in her daughter's life.

Over the next three years, Stiles worked his ass off at college while maintaining two jobs and caring for his daughter. His dad helped as best he could while juggling the responsibilities of his own job.

Fortunately, his best friend's mother, Melissa, volunteered to help with babysitting, sweeping in like an angel sent from heaven itself. And Scott and Allison were more than willing to drop by to lavish their goddaughter with as much attention as possible.

Overall, Stiles had been rather lucky to have such a wonderful support system to help him raise his daughter. Likewise, apart from a few minor hiccups, thanks to his family he was able to graduate with honors and secure a position at the local sheriff's station.

It was an uphill battle where he encountered all sorts of obstacles like the stigma against unwed teenaged parents and the many misconceptions about single dads, but it was definitely worth it.

It was almost perfect. And it probably would have been if not for Claudia's school.

It wasn't that she had any really serious problems. She wasn't unruly or disruptive. No more than any other eight year old, anyway.

She loved learning the same way that Stiles did. She was already at a sixth grade reading level, reading books like Harry Potter and _ Freak the Mighty. _

She loved math and science and music. Hell, she even liked gym class. Which was something she must have inherited from Heather since Stiles despised gym class, regardless of the fact that he had played on the lacrosse team.

The only problem was that she, like her father, had ADHD.

Claudia's symptoms had differed from Stiles but the ones that he did immediately recognize — the constant fidgeting, the inability to contain her outbursts, the difficulties concentrating — were cause enough for him to bring her to a specialist. He would be damned if his daughter fell between the cracks and went undiagnosed, written off as just a problem child.

School became the ultimate evil, something Stiles was all too familiar with. Claudia's inattentiveness meant she had trouble focusing in class and an even harder time finishing her homework.

Her tendency to talk over other kids and teachers had earned her the disdain of her fellow students. That disdain bubbled over into juvenile acts of bullying and ostracism.

Which led to a great deal of frustration for Claudia. Of course, that led to emotional outbursts and crying fits in class.

Like a vicious cycle, her occasional meltdowns resulted in even more bullying from her classmates. The first time she had come home from school and told him that someone had called her a crybaby, Stiles had been ready to march down to the school and knock tiny heads together.

It got worse as the winter holidays drew closer. It wasn't easy being the only Jewish kid around Christmastime.

Luckily, there was one bright spot in the otherwise abysmal school situation. That bright spot had a name: Mr. Derek Hale.

He was Claudia's teacher, a member of the renowned Hale family that was practically royalty in the little town of Beacon Hills. Small town monarchy, Stiles called it, not that he had anything against the Hales.

Talia Hale, the matriarch of the family, was the mayor of Beacon Hills. She had ushered in an era of tax cuts for the lower and middle classes, affordable healthcare, and increased rights for LGBT+ citizens.

Her husband, Samuel Hale, was the chief at the county fire station. He was one of the most decorated firefighters California had ever seen.

Their many children, all grown, held similar positions of high esteem. Their eldest, Laura, was a model slash actress; their youngest, Cora, ran a popular coffee shop in town; and their middle child, Derek, taught third grade.

Oftentimes the only good thing about Claudia's days at school, Mr. Hale was a frequent topic of conversation in the Stilinski home. Especially once the holiday recital drew near.

Mr. Hale was the one who had arranged the recital with the help of some volunteers from the high school, namely the guidance counselor Marin Morrell and the new history teacher Vernon 'just Boyd' Boyd.

It was designed to be a celebration of the holidays and what they stood for, family and friends and all that sentimental crap that Stiles loved. The recital itself, according to the playbill that had been sent home the week prior to the recital, was supposed to consist of various holiday songs and skits.

Initially, Claudia hadn't wanted to participate, let alone attend the recital. But after some cajoling from Stiles and some encouragement from Mr. Hale himself, she had eventually capitulated.

The fact that Mr. Hale had given her a solo in the recital may or may not have contributed to her finally agreeing.

Thus her adorable impatience and the beautiful white dress that Stiles had saved up to buy for her. It was a simple white shift dress with delicate lace sleeves and faux fur lining the back of the collar, exorbitantly priced thanks to the designer.

But Stiles hadn't been able to deny Claudia when she had seen it in a store window and fallen in love with it.

With a white bow in her hair and white flats on her feet, she looked like an angel. Stiles had tucked a pocket pack of tissues into the pocket of his dress pants for a reason.

Speaking of dressing up, Stiles groaned in defeat and whipped the tie off his neck. Balling it up, he tossed it over the back of the couch, figuring a dress shirt and some slacks was dressed up enough for a third grade recital.

Shrugging as he buttoned up his collar, hoping he didn't look like a schlep, he called out again, "Dad?"

"Yeah, I'm coming!" The Sheriff called from upstairs, his statement immediately followed by the sound of someone thundering down the stairs. A moment later, he rounded the corner, fiddling with his own necktie, a medium gray to match his suit jacket and pants.

Stiles whistled. "Looking good there, old man. When's the last time you got all gussied up? The 1920s?"

"1820s, smartass," the Sheriff shot back with a glare that lacked any real heat. He realized what he had just said a moment later.

"Grandpa! You said ass!" Claudia pointed out with all the righteous fury of an eight year old. Releasing Stiles' sleeve, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at the Sheriff with a stern pout.

"Yes. Yes, I did," he conceded, scratching the back of his head. He reached into his pocket, keys jiggling, to pull out a quarter that he promptly dropped into a mason jar on top of the nearby side table. It was nearly filled to the label of  _ swear jar. _

"So did you, little missie," Stiles admonished, still wondering how he was going to break Claudia of her habit of repeating cuss words. He pointed at the swear jar. "Put a quarter in."

Claudia's pout intensified. She met Stiles' eyes as she announced, "I don't have any. I don't have a job."

Sometimes it was frightening just how alike Claudia and he were. Shaking away that scary thought, Stiles informed her, "Fine, that's a quarter outta your next allowance, then."

"Okay, daddy!" Claudia agreed without hesitation, clapping her hands together in excitement. With a little twirl, she turned to the Sheriff, grabbing his hand to tug him towards the front door.

With a huff of amusement, Stiles ran a hand through his hair and turned back to the side table to grab his wallet and car keys. He did a final check of all his things — wallet, check; keys, check; cell phone, check; Adderall, check — before meeting Claudia and John by the front door.

* * * * *

The holiday recital was just as jam packed with holiday cheer as the playbill promised.

The sets were beautiful. All of the backdrops were hand painted, snowy forest scenes and cityscapes full of lights and holiday revelry.

The props were extremely realistic, from plastic Christmas trees and wreaths to wrapped presents with shiny bows. Whoever had carved the wooden reindeer deserved an award for set design.

The set itself was complemented by strings of multicolored fairy lights that illuminated the whole stage. They flashed in all sorts of colors, keeping time with the rhythm of the songs.

Refreshments were served, during brief intermissions between songs so children participating in more than one song had time to change costumes. Teacher volunteers handed out cups of hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.

As ashamed as Stiles was to admit it, he ended up zoning out during most of the performances. He was too preoccupied with thinking about Claudia's performance that was scheduled to be the grand finale.

He was worried that she might forget the lyrics, might get distracted by some stray thought or interesting fun fact. He was terrified that she might get overwhelmed by all the lights and the attention and the sheer amount of people.

The last thing he wanted was for her to end up getting embarrassed in front of everyone. Her classmates would never let her live it down.

Stiles knew from experience. He had accidentally messed up his lines in a play in fifth grade thanks to his motormouth. Senior year of high school, he had still been getting teased about it.

Stiles wasn't alone in his anxious waiting. Beside him, his dad jiggled his leg as he twiddled his thumbs and constantly checked his watch.

He wasn't sure if strength in numbers counted in matters of anxiety and fatherly apprehension but it made him feel better that he wasn't the only one freaking one. By the time Claudia's performance rolled around, both Stilinski men were nervous wrecks.

They both held their breaths as the curtain lifted to reveal Claudia standing in the center of the stage under a bright white light. She looked like an angel, bathed in light as the fairy lights twinkled in shades of white and blue.

The moment she started to sing, perfectly reciting the first lines of  _ This Little Light Of Mine, _ they both started crying. Sniffling a bit, John leaned to the side and whispered, "You still have those tissues?"

Stiles handed over the pack of tissues without comment.

Once Claudia finished her song, polishing it off with a polite curtsy and a radiant smile, both Stiles and his dad were on their feet. Fortunately, they weren't the only ones as everyone else in the audience gave the performers a standing ovation.

As the room filled with thunderous applause, Stiles turned to his dad to wrap his arms around him in a tight hug. The Sheriff enthusiastically returned the hug, cupping the back of Stiles' neck and squeezing, the same way he used to when Stiles was younger and woke up screaming from a nightmare.

"C'mon, let's go get Claudia," John suggested, wiping at his eyes with another tissue. Stiles did the same, nodding silently as he started the awkward shuffle out of the aisle and towards the back of the stage.

Backstage there was already a large group of parents congregating. They traded compliments and stories of previous holiday recitals.

Stiles led the way, weaving around parents congratulating their kids on their performance, dodging overly aggressive soccer moms and overcompensating divorced dads. He finally found Claudia standing by a sleek black piano, toying with the bow in her hair.

"Daddy!" She shouted in greeting when Stiles drew near, leaning down to scoop her up. He spun her around, earning a gleeful peel of laughter as she giggled.

"You were so great!" Stiles gushed as he stopped his spinning. "Really! You sounded like an angel!"

"Did I really?" Claudia pressed, her eyes lighting up with the praise. Turning to the Sheriff, she eagerly asked, "Grandpa?"

"You were amazing, sweetheart," John confirmed, reaching over to squeeze her hand. Glancing at Stiles, he offered a sad smile. "I just wish your grandmother could've seen it."

"It's okay, grandpa," Claudia assured him, stretching her arms out to wrap them around his neck in a tight hug. John returned the hug, lifting Claudia out of Stiles' arms and into his own.

Shoving any and all bittersweet thoughts out of his head, Stiles clapped his hands together. Once Claudia and John turned to him, he asked, "Alright, you ready to go home?"

"No!" Claudia cried, gesturing for the Sheriff to let her down. The second her feet hit the floor, she grabbed Stiles by the hand and started towing him somewhere as she announced, "C'mon, daddy! You have to meet Mr. Hale!"

* * * * *

They found Mr. Hale surrounded by a ring of desperate divorcees in gaudy Christmas sweaters and holiday dresses way to revealing for a third grade recital.

The poor guy seemed to be holding his own, though his discomfort was blatantly apparent. And Stiles could only see the back of the guy's head. It was that clear.

"I don't know, Claudia, he looks a little busy," Stiles said. He looked down at Claudia only to find that she was nowhere to be found.

A frenzied scan of the surrounding area found her wriggling past two women who were wearing so much perfume Stiles could smell it from where he stood. Once she had infiltrated the circle of women, she tapped her teacher on the hand, politely requesting, "Mr. Hale? Can you come meet my daddy?"

"Sorry, everyone. I'll be right back," an even, clearly relieved voice excused. Taking Claudia's hand, Mr. Hale turned around and promptly made Stiles' jaw drop.

Complete with a dark shadow of stubble that made Stiles' knees weak, Mr. Hale's face was a work of art so beautiful it could bring home all the ships Helen's face launched. Dusted with the aforementioned sinfully sexy stubble, high cheekbones and a square jaw added equal parts elegance and ruggedness to his look.

His hair was pitch black, neatly combed back and slightly parted. It looked thick and silky smooth, perfect for absentmindedly running one's hands through.

He was tall, maybe an inch or two taller than Stiles himself, and clearly in good shape. He filled out his black suit nicely, his red damask tie brought out the warm tones of his slightly tanned skin.

Belatedly realizing that it was probably very inappropriate to drool over his daughter's third grade teacher, Stiles snapped his mouth shut. With a bright smile, Mr. Hale stepped closer, offering his free hand for a handshake.

Praying his hands weren't clammy, Stiles shook Mr. Hale's hand. Plastering a smile on his face, he greeted, "You must be the famous Mr. Hale I've heard so much about."

"And you must be Claudia's father," Mr. Hale returned. "It's nice to meet you. And, please, call me Derek."

"Nice to meet you, Derek," Stiles replied, dropping his hand to take Claudia's as she moved to stand beside him. Squeezing her hand, he looked back at Derek and tacked on, "Call me Stiles."

He was about to thank Derek for putting together the recital when Claudia interrupted. Smiling innocently, she looked up at Derek and announced, "See, Mr. Hale? Daddy didn't use any hair gel tonight. He doesn't look like a porkie-pine, right?"

"No. Not like a porkie-pine," Derek agreed, flashing Stiles a grin so bright it outshone the fairy lights still twinkling on stage. There were crinkles by the corners of his eyes, eyes that were the most spectacular shade of hazel.

"Isn't he handsome?" Claudia drawled, the PG rated version of a shit-eating grin stretched across her face. Angel, his ass.

Stiles felt his face flush with heat at the comment. Fighting the urge to start fidgeting, Stiles set a hand on Claudia's back and gently pushed her in the other direction, instructing, "Okay, missy, go find your grandpa."

Claudia skipped away to go find the Sheriff, long curls swaying behind her. Stiles shook his head fondly, apologizing, "Sorry about that. Claudia likes to think of herself as a little matchmaker. I think she gets it from my dad."

"Not a problem," Derek assured him, running a hand through his dark hair, mussing it up. Eyes crinkling again, he continued, "She's not wrong. You do look very handsome."

Before Stiles could embarrass himself by blurting out something stupid like fun facts about penguins, he was cut off by the sound of a very familiar giggle. Whipping his head to the side, Stiles found Claudia standing a few feet away with the Sheriff, both of them chuckling under their breaths.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny, young lady?" Stiles inquired, setting his hands on his hips. He used his Stern Father Voice™ for good measure.

Instead of answering, both Claudia and the Sheriff pointed at something above his head. Stiles craned his neck to look up at whatever they were pointing at.

It was a bough of mistletoe, green leaves accented by waxy white berries and a bright red ribbon. And surely enough, it was hanging over he and Derek's heads.

"You have to kiss!" Claudia shrieked happily, clapping her hands. The Sheriff seemed to agree, nodding his head in encouragement.

"Alright, you two," Stiles admonishment, turning back to them. He tossed his keys to his dad, shooing them, "Time to go home. Go wait for me in the car."

They obediently turned on their heels and retreated, pausing to wave goodbye at Derek. Once they were out of earshot, Stiles turned back to Derek, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm  _ really  _ sorry about them," he apologized, wincing. "I don't really know what's gotten into them lately."

"They're not wrong," Derek claimed, taking a step closer. With a glance upward, he explained, "We are standing under the mistletoe. And tradition does say we're supposed to kiss. Do you really wanna go against tradition?"

Suddenly, Derek was standing much closer. The scent of his subtle cologne filled the air between them, the air warmed by how close their bodies were.

"No. No, of course not," Stiles murmured, his voice sounding faraway and faint as Derek's warm hand on his cheek tilted his head up. A moment later, Derek's lips were on his, warm and wet and perfect.

It started out as a chaste kiss. Just a simple peck on the lips between new acquaintances so as to honor an ancient holiday tradition.

But then it turned a little more heated, a little deeper. He wasn't sure who deepened the kiss but regardless a moment later Derek's hand was in Stiles' hair and Stiles' arms were thrown around Derek's neck.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Stiles knew that it was probably extremely amoral and unprofessional and inappropriate to be making out with his daughter's teacher backstage while a throng of other parents milled around. But at that moment, he couldn't have cared less if he tried.

Eventually, they pulled apart, desperately trying to regain some semblance of decorum. Stiles coughed, face burning bright red, and stammered out, "So... That happened."

"Yeah," Derek answered, looking just as flushed as Stiles. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through Stiles' hair, massaging the back of his head. With a wink, he announced, "Y'know, I'm really glad you didn't use any hair gel tonight. Not that it would've made kissing you any less wonderful."

Stiles let out a very manly giggle. He murmured something about having to take Claudia home, starting towards the door.

But before he could get very far, Derek wrapped him up in another quick kiss. Lips brushing against Stiles', he whispered, "I was thinking about putting on a recital for New Year's. You in?"

Then it was Stiles' turn to get excited about going back to school.


End file.
